Jagannathpur police station in-charge told The Indian Express that the dispute was an old one and that the well was situated largely within Rimi’s premises. (Source: File/ Representational)A Dalit woman in Ranchi has alleged that a neighbour denied her access to a well she says was meant to be shared by three families and subjected her to casteist abuse. Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act.Speaking to The Indian Express, the woman said she belongs to the Dalit Malha caste and bought a house in Ranchi’s Lanka Colony in 2020. She alleged that an agreement drawn up by the former owner provided for three families to share the well.“After we purchased the house in 2020, we were asked to arrange separate water connections. We had also installed a pipe and motor to draw water from the well. However, when the supply water stopped coming, the dispute over the well began,” she said.She alleged that her neighbour, Rimi Devi, had repeatedly subjected her to casteist abuse in front of other residents.“She calls me ‘naan jaat’ (lower caste). I have been hearing these remarks for the past five years ever since we purchased the house. When I go to draw water from the well, she abuses me using casteist remarks and does not allow me to take water,” she alleged.She further alleged that Rimi told her she would be addressed by her caste if she had a certificate identifying her as belonging to a lower caste.The woman said she approached the police on October 10 after being denied access to the well. Police visited the locality, but the argument resumed after they left.Story continues below this adJagannathpur police station in-charge Nitin Singh told The Indian Express that the dispute was an old one and that the well was situated largely within Rimi’s premises. The woman maintained that an agreement drawn up by the former owner provided for three families to share it.On the allegations of casteist abuse, Singh said the woman had accused Rimi of making casteist remarks. “If anything of this nature is established during the investigation, we will take action accordingly,” he said, adding that a case had been registered under the SC/ST Act.The woman said she had given the police a video that she claimed showed Rimi using casteist slurs against her.The FIR names Rimi, her husband, Navrendra Kumar, their sons Aditya and Aman, and neighbour Upendra Yadav. The woman alleged that the five had prevented her from drawing water from the well.Story continues below this adIn a separate complaint filed the following day, Rimi accused the woman and three men of assaulting her and misbehaving with her at her residence. She alleged that the woman and two men entered her house while she was alone, assaulted her and snatched a gold chain.Singh said Rimi had maintained in her complaint that the well was on her property and that she would not allow the woman to draw water from it.Shubham Tigga is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, presently based in Pune, where he covers the intersections of infrastructure, labor, and the modern economy. His reporting focuses on civil aviation, urban mobility, the gig economy, and workers' unions, providing critical insights into how transit and commercial sectors impact the daily lives of citizens. Expertise & Background Before moving to Pune, he reported extensively from his home state of Chhattisgarh, where he focused on Indigenous (Adivasi) issues, environmental justice, and grassroots struggles in mainland India. This experience gives him a unique lens through which he analyzes the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities. Academic Foundation He is an alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), where he honed his skills in investigative reporting and ethical journalism. His academic training, combined with his field experience in Central India, allows him to navigate complex socio-economic landscapes with nuance and accuracy. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More Tags:ranchi